Children's Books discussion

This month, our focus is Aviation. Fiction or non-fiction. Approach this from the STEM angle, historical perspective (include aviators for some great biographies!), take a look at some of the fanciful fiction involving flight or go for all of the above. Lots of options, just so long as it's a picture book. In addition to airplanes, consider hot air balloons, gliders, helicopters, air ships... and we can go beyond pilots to include design, manufacture, and other roles that help facilitate air travel.

Happy reading!

My oldest is really into aviation right now so we've already read several books on the topic. I'll be back soon to post more reviews.

(Incidentally, if any of you know of some good children's (or MG) novels featuring aviation, please PM me as my son would likely be interested. Thanks!)

The Flying Man: Otto Lilienthal, the World's First Pilot
My oldest is really into aviation right now and he really enjoyed this book even being at the upper age of the typical picture book audience. The writing style is immersive -- right away you feel that you are there with Otto on his breathtaking adventures: "Otto's breath came in ragged gasps as he struggled up the slope. A pair of huge wings weighed heavily on his arms. Twice the fourteen-year-old had dashed downhill, leaping and flapping. Twice the force of gravity had held him earthbound, crushing his dream of soaring skyward." I love that it begins with Otto as a teen, dreaming and inventing, trying and failing, before his eventual success as an adult. The back matter includes "Trial and Error: The Path to Flight" which includes some of Lilienthal's sketches and explains what made his efforts eventually succeed when so many others had failed. There were no books or instruction manuals on flight in 1862, young Otto and his brother Gustav had to figure everything out through observation, trial and error. "It took years until they realized flapping wouldn't work. [...] They finally decided they should try gliding instead of flapping. They spent the next many years studying the shapes of bird wings. These special shapes unlocked the secrets of flight." The book itself ends with Otto's 1896 successful flight, after which reporters dubbed him "The Flying Man." The back matter explains that Otto met the same tragic fate as many other early pioneers of flight, crashing a week after that famous 1896 flight and dying of injuries sustained. However, his contribution to flight lived on and The Wright Brothers credited Lilienthal as their greatest inspiration.

I didn't write a review of Lighter than Air: Sophie Blanchard, the First Woman Pilot but it's worth reading.

Up & Down: The Adventures of John Jeffries, First American to Fly Entertaining but see the negative reviews regarding the flaws.

Planes are cool, but time machines are cooler. I'll be back.
Wait...I found these while time traveling and hope they help you get started.
Amelia and Eleanor Go for a Ride
Ruth Law Thrills a Nation
Flying Solo: How Ruth Elder Soared into America's Heart

Serena wrote: "Planes are cool, but time machines are cooler. I'll be back.
Wait...I found these while time traveling and hope they help you get started.
Amelia and Eleanor Go for a Ride
[book:Ruth ..."

Thank you! I read "Amelia and Eleanor" years ago and thought it was wonderful. The other two are new-to-me and I'll try to read them this month. I know I will have at least one other book to take in my time machine and will share it with you back in March 2010 :-)

Kathryn,
All of the books I mentioned above were found in,you guessed it, March 2010. And the time machine truly IS yours, YOU built it! Thank you. Visit me any time you like.

Serena wrote: "Kathryn,
All of the books I mentioned above were found in,you guessed it, March 2010. And the time machine truly IS yours, YOU built it! Thank you. Visit me any time you like."

Aww, thank you! :-) It's my pleasure.

Push-Pull-Turn! Up in the Air!
This adorable book has flaps, and planes that glide along a path on the page.

The Airport Book
I think this is a great book for introducing children to the whole airport/airplane ride experience. And the reader can try to find the little girl's toy monkey in every spread. The colorful illustrations are very adept at depicting everything in the airport and on the airplane.

Air Miles
Lovely, touching story. Outstanding artwork by both Burningham and Helen Oxenbury.

My Friend Rabbit
I really liked this story and found it quite humorous, especially those pictures of rabbit pushing, pulling, or carrying animals quite a lot bigger than him. I really liked the bold, colorful illustrations with their thick black outlines. In this book, the airplane is a toy.
2003 Caldecott Award

The following are picture books which I read in years past and rated, but did not write a review:
The Return of Freddy Legrand
Airport
Violet the Pilot
Flight
This Plane
Hello, Airplane!
Maisy Goes on a Plane: A Maisy First Experiences Book
Flying
Lindbergh (The Goodreads record states that this book is 350 pages long. It's not. It is in Open Library and I confirmed that it is a picture book of about 34 pages.)
Captain Sky Blue
Airplane Ride
Come Fly with Me
Airplanes Take Off and Land
Moon Plane
Planes
Little Plane Learns to Write
Jumbo: The Making of the Boeing 747

Beverly wrote: "The following are picture books which I read in years past and rated, but did not write a review:
The Return of Freddy Legrand
Airport
Violet the Pilot
[..."

Wonderful! Thanks so much for the list and reviews.

I've read a few about early women aviation pioneers and will try to remember titles.

My library has this series, the Story of Flight. I'll explore these later in the month. I also love Amelia and Eleanor Go for a Ride that I know has already been recommended here.

I think I picked up one or two early women aviator books at volunteer free book night at the Planned Parenthood Book sale as well, but I was looking and didn't see them right off.

There's also a fictional one that I want to read that explores some of the thoughts that kids (some of who potentially grew up to be famous fliers - they used name and wordplay I think) had on the day of the first flight at Kitty Hawk. I forget the title, but I'm confident I can find it - I remember the general location on the picture book shelf.

Anyone know of any picture books about female pilots in WWII, either as domestic fliers or as war plane testers? I'm more and more fascinated by the roles of women (especially Americans) doing "men's jobs" in WWII with everything I find out on the subject. I read Angel With Steel Wings on this subject (not a children's book though) and I was fascinated by the Women's Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) program.

Celia wrote: "Anyone know of any picture books about female pilots in WWII, either as domestic fliers or as war plane testers? I'm more and more fascinated by the roles of women (especially Americans) doing "men's jobs" in WWII with everything I find out on the subject."

I find this fascinating, too! I don't have one on a female pilot in WWII yet (though, like Pooh, I have a few biographies on early female aviators I'll be reviewing shortly) but I did check this one out yesterday and you might be interested:
The Girl Who Could Fix Anything: Beatrice Shilling, World War II Engineer. I haven't had a chance to read it yet but will post back soon! :-)

Molly Takes Flight is a longer book than a picture book. It's a short story about the American Girl character connecting with her aunt who is a WASP. That's the only one I've read that's short. I've read a few YA novels about WASP and early women aviators.

On my TBR is The Fearless Flights of Hazel Ying Lee

Aim for the Skies: Jerrie Mock and Joan Merriam Smith's Race to Complete Amelia Earhart's Quest

Daredevil: The Daring Life of Betty Skelton

Wood, Wire, Wings: Emma Lilian Todd Invents an Airplane

and The Flying Girl: How Aida de Acosta Learned to Soar

Nobody Owns the Sky: The Story of "Brave Bessie" Coleman
is a good book about Bessie Coleman, Black history and women's history.

Ruth Law Thrills a Nation
A story I had not heard before. It was unmemorable storytelling, unfortunately. Fearless Flyer: Ruth Law and Her Flying Machine might be better.

QNPoohBear wrote: "Molly Takes Flight is a longer book than a picture book. It's a short story about the American Girl character connecting with her aunt who is a WASP. That's the only one I've read tha..."

I really enjoyed Wood, Wire, Wings: Emma Lilian Todd Invents an Airplane The whole book is meticulously and wonderfully put together. The story itself is engaging but, for me, the author's note and excellent back matter, including many historical photographs, an Age of Airships timeline, and extensive bibliography really elevate this to five stars. While the illustrations themselves may not be my perfect cup of tea, I did really appreciate them and just the overall layout and the way so many drawings/figures, direct quotes, etc. were incorporated. This is a rich educational tool for children in many ways and my sons and I enjoyed lingering over the spread that shows "Lilian grew up in a time when it seemed like everyone was tinkering..." and mentions some of the many patents for things from dishwashers to the pneumatic subway that were created in the mid-to-late 1800s. Lilian's story is inspiring and very worthy of being shared with children.

"Celia wrote: "Anyone know of any picture books about female pilots in WWII, either as domestic fliers or as war plane testers? I'm more and more fascinated by the roles of women (especially America..."


Celia, you might be interested in Skyward: The Story of Female Pilots in WWII. I just came across it online, haven't read it yet myself. Technically its not a picture book (88pages) but appears to be heavily illustrated and the target audience is 7-12 so there may be some cross-over with the older picture book crowd.

Here are a few I can't get from my library but that look good:

A Meeting in the Sky

A Dream of Flight: Alberto Santos-Dumont's Race Around the Eiffel Tower
(I do have out The Fabulous Flying Machines of Alberto Santos-Dumont)

The Tuskegee Airmen Story (it seems most of the children's books about the Tuskeegee Airmen are for older readers so I was glad to find this picture book to add to the list. I was fortunate enough to attend a presentation given some years ago by one of the Tuskeegee Airmen and it was quite powerful.)

Kathryn wrote: ""Celia wrote: "Anyone know of any picture books about female pilots in WWII, either as domestic fliers or as war plane testers? I'm more and more fascinated by the roles of women (especially Americ..."

Ooh thanks, I'll see if I can find that one.

An Incredible Journey: The Story of Alcock and Brown Also not at my library but wish it was. Will try ILL. Alcock and Brown were the first the fly nonstop across the Atlantic Ocean in 1919.

I'm trying to find picture book biographies for the lesser-known individuals mentioned in Into the Air: An Illustrated Timeline of Flight (such as Alcock and Brown). The Into the Air book is great, though slightly dated at this point with a publication date of 2003 so the "future" discussed at the end of the book is already history. Still, it's a great timeline of flight, starting with dragonflies with two-foot wingspans 325 MYA up through the 2001 with the robotic Global Hawk plane that could "spy from 65,000 feet" and could take infrared and radar pictures. At first, I was puzzled as to the inclusion of flying insects, reptiles and mammals, but, of course, humans looked to these creatures as inspiration for their own flying machines so it makes sense to have them here. Includes legends such as Icarus, invention of kites, da Vinci's drawings of flying machines up to the first invention that could make a human airborne was the hot air balloon (most "history of aviation" books start here) credited to the Montgolfier brothers in 1783. I like the format of the book because there is a large illustration spanning two pages with a few sentences that could be share with younger audiences while the timeline aspect is set in squares on each page giving further details for older readers. The book concludes with the idea that the future holds even more great inventions while we also continue to enjoy some of the creations that paved the way, such as the hot air balloon and glider. There's an Endnote from Dr. Kathryn Sullivan, former NASA astronaut, as well as a list of Resources including Books and Websites.

The Girl Who Could Fix Anything: Beatrice Shilling, World War II Engineer I'm glad Beatrice Shilling's story is being told. She was quite remarkable. As an adult reader, I wanted more from this story. I found it a rather frustrating blend of too-simple for older readers and too-much for very young ones (certainly we can't ignore Beatrice's efforts in inventing the restrictor and helping fix problems with the engines of the Spitfire and Hurricane in WWII but the numerous illustrations of dogfights, plummeting planes on fire, distressed pilots, and London ablaze might be upsetting to sensitive youngsters). I really wanted to know more about HOW Beatrice figured out the problem with the engines when no one else could. I also wanted to know more about how the men came to respect her and her work. The Author's Note does explain more so, again, I feel the story itself is more for the early elementary crowd. I also share the frustration of another reviewer who felt annoyed that the author leaves off the story proper with a glorious illustration implying Beatrice and her husband are flying off together in their own plane. The author's note says that Beatrice and her husband never did own a plane, though she did learn to fly. I personally didn't feel caught up in the story, but I certainly think it is worthwhile sharing this with young people interested in the history of aviation or trailblazing women. I do appreciate that Rockliff included a list of Sources.

Brave Harriet: The First Woman to Fly the English Channel I thoroughly enjoyed this! It's one of my favorite picture book biographies about aviators because I feel Harriet's personality shines through the pages and you really feel caught up in the action and emotion of the big event. (I'm not usually a fan of first person narrative for historical biographies, but I feel it works in this case.) The illustrations pair beautifully with the text, giving a sense of time and place and some really great views of the plane (which my sons especially appreciated). Bonus points for including a wonderful photograph of Harriet hoisted on the shoulders of cheering spectators on the beach that remarkable morning. And the fine Author's Note that explains more of her story. I do wish the book had included more specifics as to timeline. For those who are curious, Harriet was born in 1875 so she was 37 (and already a successful newspaper writer) when she became the first woman pilot to cross the English Channel on April 16th, 1912. The history buffs among you may already realize that it was not Harriet's story that made front page news at that time, however, for the Titanic sank on April 15th and that is what the newspapers covered. Harriet's triumph was largely neglected. The story ends with her saying that it didn't matter, because she knew she had done it, she had had the experience, and that is what matters. I'm not sure if that is the case or if it's was author's liberties, but I hope it's true. I'm glad history remembers her now, but it's also important for kids to know that not everyone famous does things for fame -- that sometimes it's enough just to have done it. Note that sensitive young readers may prefer not reading beyond the story proper as the Author's Note does mention that, as was the case with many of these early aviators, Harriet died doing what she loved -- flying. (Just a few short months after her history-making flight across the Channel.) The Boston Post wrote of her death, "Ambitious to be among the pathfinders, she took her chances like a man and died like one." Unfortunately, the author doesn't cite any sources so I can't give this five stars, even though I found it captivating and it is one of the more memorable picture book biographies I've read in awhile.

I also want to read Sky High: The True Story of Maggie Gee by the same author.

Away in My Airplane by Margaret Wise Brown, illustrated by Henry Fisher
Colourful picture book, several different types of airplanes in the illustrations, nice play with typography and perspective.

Mimi wrote: "Away in My Airplane by Margaret Wise Brown, illustrated by Henry Fisher
Colourful picture book, several different types of airplanes in the illustrat..."

Thank you! Seeing MWB's name reminds me of another favorite from yesteryear, Lois Lenski's Mr. Small series. We read The Little Airplane some years go when my boys were much smaller and they loved it. It was originally published in 1938 and I can just imagine how thrilled children of the day were since airplanes were still so new and exciting then. The illustrations are charming. The text, to me, is a little tedious and dry in places, but my two boys were riveted and I think it contains the type of "how to" details that many children really enjoy.

I read a couple of historical books about early women aviators.

Aim for the Skies: Jerrie Mock and Joan Merriam Smith's Race to Complete Amelia Earhart's Quest

This one was a little confusing with the two different women flying independently unbeknownst to each other. That reminded me of Nellie Bly and Elizabeth Bisland who paved the way for Amelia Earhart and everyone else who wanted go to around the world quickly. The story was a little boring and didn't interest me all that much.

The Daring Miss Quimby was more interesting. I remembered reading about Harriet once before. She was quite the character and very brave to even go in one of those things that passed for an airplane in the early 1900s. Sadly, Harriet Quimby lost control of her plane and died only 11 months after learning how to fly. Unfortunately, she killed someone else in the process. Since she enjoyed the attention of being the first woman pilot, she would probably be thrilled there are books about her.

Backmatter includes a timeline and author's note, bibliographies for websites and books.

By far the best book I found was Amelia and Eleanor Go for a Ride

I've been a fan of the author for awhile and enjoyed Brian Selznick's historical graphic novels and being a lover of women's history, I knew this book was meant for me. It's speculative fiction based on extensive research. The author's note explains the difference between the story and what we know happened in real life. The story is rich in detail, in feeling and the two daring women who helped bring women into the 20th century.

Brian Selznick's illustrations show a lot of detail, like newspaper stories. They make Eleanor and Amelia look like their photos which is nice.

QNPoohBear wrote: "The Daring Miss Quimby The Daring Miss Quimby by Suzanne George Whitaker was more interesting. I remembered reading about Harriet once before. She was quite the character and very brave to even go in one of those things that passed for an airplane in the early 1900s. Sadly, Harriet Quimby lost control of her plane and died only 11 months after learning how to fly. Unfortunately, she killed someone else in the process."

I'm glad to know there's another picture book biography of Harriet Quimby. She definitely deserves to be better known! I thought Brave Harriet: The First Woman to Fly the English Channel was wonderful.

As to her untimely death, and that of the other person, fortunately it was not a bystander killed but her passenger who was the manager of that Boston Air Meet so I would guess he knew risk involved before he took flight. (Though certainly history can thank those brave individuals who went up in the early planes, it amazes me anyone did considering how dangerous it was!) Still, of course, it was tragic especially considering that they might both have lived had they been wearing seat belts which were only just starting to be used by some pilots in Europe at the time. It sounds as if the plane may have been at fault.

For those unable to get the books about her, here is a well-written article about Harriet, including photographs, courtesy of NOVA:
https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/bleriot...

A quote from Harriet, who was a journalist before she became a pilot:

"Men flyers have given the impression that aeroplaning is very perilous work, something an ordinary mortal should not dream of attempting," she once wrote, "but when I saw how easy men flyers handle their machines, I said I could fly. Flying is a fine, dignified sport for women, it is healthy and stimulates the mind."

Jumbo: The Making of the Boeing 747. My kids and I have read this before but I definitely want to give it a shout-out on this list. It's very well done.

Miranda the Explorer: A Magical Round-the-World Adventure. A fanciful round-the-world adventure as a little girl takes flight in a hot air balloon. I appreciate the way it introduces children to various landmarks around the world, both man-made, such as St. Basil's Cathedram, Taj Mahal, Statue of Liberty, Pyramids of Giza, Great Wall of China, and some natural wonders such as The Grand Canyon and Uluru (Ayers Rock). However, I disliked the stereotypes (for example, she lands in "a busy marketplace full of snake charmers and fire eaters, bright colours and spicy smells. This was India!") It's a little hard to follow the course of her journey and, while the map at the back is nice, it would have been better to include a flight path and star the places she visits.

(Not a picture-book, but generously illustrated and so can be appreciated by pb readers: Russell Freedman's The Wright Brothers: How They Invented the Airplane gets four stars from me.

Ok, it must be worthy of its Newbery Honor designation. Otherwise, why would I read every word in just one afternoon, when I have piles of other books waiting for me from the same library haul? I'm not even interested in aviation. I love that it was both about the inspirational, hard-working young men (and their mother, sister, and the rest of the family), and about the technical challenges & accomplishments. A youngster reading this, who is interested in aviation, would likely be thrilled. The photos and backmatter make it worthy of being kept in libraries even if the kids aren't currently interested.)

Cheryl wrote: "(Not a picture-book, but generously illustrated and so can be appreciated by pb readers: Russell Freedman's The Wright Brothers: How They Invented the Airplane gets four..."

Ooo, thank you! We have read a few books similar to this and enjoyed them. Indeed very inspiring. I will see if we can get this particular title.

I have a stack of books here we read over the past few weeks that I need to review. I'm hoping to find time to write detailed reviews, but this week has not gone at all to plan and now one of my kiddos is sick. I'm hoping to find time with the upcoming long weekend. So many of the picture book biographies have been wonderful and well-worth reading so I'm trying to find the time to write worthy reviews. I'll try to at least get the list posted with my rankings by the weekend if nothing else.

The Red Baron: The Graphic History of Richthofen's Flying Circus and the Air War in WWI

This is a graphic novel and thus of course much too long and not really to be considered a picture book. But since I do NOT find the only picture book I found on Open Library about Manfred von Richthofen (the Red Baron) at all textually to my liking, with Raymond Briggs' illustrations wonderful and detailed for Richthofen, the Red Baron but with Nicholas Fisk's text full of anti German sentiment and almost making me feel that even though Manfred von Richthofen was a WWI flying ace (and very similar to his French and British counterparts) Fisk seems keen on making von Richthofen appear like some kind of forerunner of the Nazis, I decided to not bother reviewing Richthofen, the Red Baron and to suggest even for the picture book crowd The Red Baron: The Graphic History of Richthofen's Flying Circus and the Air War in WWI (as in particular the back information on the planes used in WWI is excellent and provides nicely solid statistics).

Well (and after doing a bit of online research), quite a number of reviews for Wayne Vansant's 2014 The Red Baron: The Graphic History of Richthofen's Flying Circus and the Air War in WWI seem to claim that having Vansant start his graphic novel neither with Manfred von Richthofen's biographical background and his life as a member of the German nobility (and with the resulting privileges of birth and wealth, including a totally weird and all encompassing love of hunting, of shooting and killing wildlife) nor with him switching from the cavalry (from combat on horseback) to the air service (to combat via airplanes) but rather with an account of what was the German pilot’s 11th victory, with his eleventh "kill" (showing textually and also of course considering that The Red Baron: The Graphic History of Richthofen's Flying Circus and the Air War in WWI is a graphic novel visually seven pages depicting in really meticulous and exaggerated detail the aerial duel between Manfred von Richthofen in an Albatross and British major Lanoe G. Hawker flying a De Havilland D.H. 2 and resulting in the Victoria Cross winning Harper's death), and that this sequence (following the turns and dives of two skilled pilots and with von Richthofen emerging victorious and Hawker ending up deceased but "respected" in death) is supposedly an entertaining and engagingly ripping account of high adventure which effectively draws readers into The Red Baron: The Graphic History of Richthofen's Flying Circus and the Air War in WWI and makes us hungry for and wanting more, more, more of the same.

But sorry, and for me both personally and emotionally, I have in fact found that opening sequence of The Red Baron: The Graphic History of Richthofen's Flying Circus and the Air War in WWI rather majorly nauseating and basically (in my humble opinion) more a case of Wayne Vansant's text and accompanying cartoon like artwork inappropriately celebrating and feting death, destruction and making WWI air combats seem like something exciting and entertaining and the pilots (German, French and British) as glorious and as knights in their proverbially shining armour (and not as what they in my opinion basically ALWAYS were, proverbial cannon fodder for the glory of European generals and monarchs, since for me, WWI basically and totally shows how the family squabbles between the inbred and ridiculous crowned heads of Europe, of especially Wilhelm II of Germany, George V of England and Tsar Nicholas II of Russia not only caused massive death and pain but also ushered in WWII by making monsters like Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini appealing in the aftermath, and not to mention the Russian Revolution and emergence and power of Leninism and later Stalinism).

Therefore, although with The Red Baron: The Graphic History of Richthofen's Flying Circus and the Air War in WWI Wayne Vansant does certainly provide a for the most part factual and realistic account of Manfred von Richthofen's life (and his death) and that Vansant fortunately does not ever try to depict and write about the German WWI pilots as horrible, as monsters and the French, British and American pilots as shiningly angelic (or indeed vice versa), Wayne Vansant's rather positive (and also uncritical regarding war in general) textual stance towards WWI aerial combat, this does hugely bother me and also makes me quite disappointed and only able to give a very low and grudging three star rating for The Red Baron: The Graphic History of Richthofen's Flying Circus and the Air War in WWI (and that my three stars are three and not two stars solely because the information Wayne Vansant provides on French, British and German WWI airplanes is interesting and the list of titles for further reading much appreciated, but that for me and to me The Red Baron: The Graphic History of Richthofen's Flying Circus and the Air War in WWI too much glorifies and celebrates WWI and WWI flying aces where Wayne Vansant really should be casting a critical eye on this and to consider WWI and war in general as wantonly destructive and a strange cult of celebrating death and mayhem).

And finally, regarding the illustrations for The Red Baron: The Graphic History of Richthofen's Flying Circus and the Air War in WWI (and as a person of German background who is short, has green eyes and dark brown hair), I am honestly also quite visually annoyed and frustrated that basically ALL of the German WWI flying aces encountered in The Red Baron: The Graphic History of Richthofen's Flying Circus and the Air War in WWI are depicted, are drawn by Wayne Vansant as supposedly being tall and with blond hair. For come on, that really and problematically kind of buys into Adolf Hitler and the the Nazi's concept of us Germans supposedly being some kind of a superior race of tall and blond haired individuals, which is not only horrid in and of itself and a huge part of vile and hateful National Socialist ideology (including the Holocaust) but is also totally scientifically and genetically ignorant and erroneous in so many ways, since the blond and tall German "ideal" of Adolf Hitler actually pertains much more to Scandinavia than to Germany (except to an extent in pats of Northern Germany), and yes, I really wish that Wayne Vansant would not be perpetuating that ridiculously silly and dangerous myth with his otherwise pretty decent and realistic artwork in The Red Baron: The Graphic History of Richthofen's Flying Circus and the Air War in WWI.

I'll be late posting reviews of the books as my son was sick last week so we are behind on the project. The subject is dear to his heart and he is going to help with the reviews :-)

Kathryn wrote: "I'll be late posting reviews of the books as my son was sick last week so we are behind on the project. The subject is dear to his heart and he is going to help with the reviews :-)"

Did you get my message/comments? Which boy?

Serena wrote: "Kathryn wrote: "I'll be late posting reviews of the books as my son was sick last week so we are behind on the project. The subject is dear to his heart and he is going to help with the reviews :-)..."

My oldest. He is fine now :-) I'm just behind. I will reply to your message soon, thank you. (I'm behind on all my GR messages and posts.)

Hank's Big Day: The Story of a Bug

This one is a little bit different. It's from the POV of a bug named Hank. His best friend is a girl named Amelia, named for her hero, Amelia Earhart. Little Amelia is shown wearing an aviator's cap like her hero's and Amelia and Hank go on a flying adventure in their imaginations in their back yard. It's cute. Bugs aren't my thing but I think it will help kids see bugs as not scary or creepy but something to be treated kindly. The story emphasizes the power of the imagination.

The illustrations are cute.

QNPoohBear wrote: "Hank's Big Day: The Story of a Bug

This one is a little bit different. It's from the POV of a bug named Hank. His best friend..."

Anything that can improve the reputation of bugs is a winner in my book! ;)

I remember reading that one to the kids a few years ago. It was cute :-)

My son kept asking for books that feature kids building planes or other flying machines and I thought of Bored - Nothing to Do! which I remembered from my own childhood. It is the (fictional) tale of two brothers who are bored one summer's day and decide to build an airplane with materials scavenged from around their house and yard. Their creativity is impressive, though it might have gone better for them in the end if they'd asked permission first. Reading it now as an adult, I really didn't like the spanking the boys receive, and felt that a better discussion could have occurred instead (such as, we are proud of your ingenuity but you shouldn't take things without asking!) However, the illustrations are so good and the story so humorous, I'm still glad I shared it with my kids. I love the final illustration after the boys are sent to their rooms where they are once again bored... those posters of the moon landing and NASA rockets on the wall are bound to inspire them (too bad there wasn't a sequel!)

My son wanted a book about a REAL kid who built a REAL flying machine (not that I blame him) and it took awhile to find but I finally tracked down Cromwell Dixon's Sky Cycle I'm SO happy I found this book! Three cheers for Cromwell Dixon and his Sky-Cycle! In 1907, Cromwell was fourteen years old and was quite famous as "America's Boy Aeronaut" -- the youngest aviator to make a name for himself in that "dizzying early age of aviation in America." Even after he invented Sky-Cycle and flew it at the 1907 St. Louis Airship Carnival (flying his bicycle-balloon a mile high), he continued to chase his dreams and set various piloting records across America and became the first pilot to fly across the Rocky Mountains of Montana in an airplane at age nineteen. I also love that his mother was instrumental in his success, helping with the invention and encouraging his dream. The story is told well with lively illustrations that have a sense of fun while also being evocative of the era. My one complaint is that Cromwell looks too young in the illustrations -- I guessed him to be about ten or eleven, not fourteen. Fortunately, the back matter sets the record straight and includes two photographs, one of Cromwell flying the Sky-Cycle and one of he and his mother working on it. Also includes a Bibliography. Highly recommend to young aviators and dreamers!

Very cool. Yes, your son made a reasonable request. With the push on STEM you'd think books like that would be more available. I'm sure Cromwell wasn't the only teen who was a successful engineer.

Sorry I've been MIA for a while and missed this entire month. My mom is making me downsize the children's book collection because she's not moving all of them back, so I'm going to try to review as many as I can in the time I have.

For this topic:

Amelia and Eleanor Go for a Ride by Pam Muñoz Ryan

I still love this book as much as the first time I read it. I appreciate the story of two strong women who defied expectations. I feel like we often forget that various historical figures were contemporaries of each other, and without this book, I don't know if I would have thought of Eleanor Roosevelt and Amelia Earhart in the same time period.

I find Brian Selznick's detailed black and white illustrations to be an interesting choice for this book. While I appreciate and enjoy Selznick's work, the lack of color in a book like this is surprising at first. It grows on me, though, when thinking about the time period. In the 1930s, photographs were black and white, and this creates a nostalgic quality.

In many books about Amelia Earhart, I don't know if it's discussed as much what it meant to be a woman flying a plane just ten years after their invention. I like that Pam Muñoz Ryan addresses this in the way both Amelia Earhart and Eleanor Roosevelt were adventurous women of their time, and specifically highlights the fact that people didn't think women should have these roles. It's super important to teach the struggles and opposition that have led to diversity, and this book is a good step in the right direction regarding those values.

This one's definitely a keeper.

I have Talkin' About Bessie: The Story of Aviator Elizabeth Coleman somewhere too, but I can't find it. Hoping to update when I do.

Celia wrote: "Amelia and Eleanor Go for a Ride."

I liked that one a lot too.

My parents told me I had too many books when we moved but I ignored them. I got rid of some I had from college and grad school but kept ALL the children's books I had not already given away. Sadly my nieces and nephews have yet to look at ANY of them let alone the boxes of picture books in the basement.

Sadly, my problem is that I have a six hour car ride back, and I'm not the one with the driver's license or the car, and it's not my house. I'm keeping about half, but I've got a lot of hard decisions to make. But I think I have enough books to give a book to every kid at the Boys and Girls Club before I leave. I'm very passionate about giving books as many lives as they can get with as many people. Since most of my books were used to begin with, I'm thinking of it as giving them new life instead of getting rid of them. It's my dream that no book ever ends up in a trash can until it's old and falling apart, and passing them on is a way for me to make that happen. It's still sad, though.

I'm thinking of putting a request on the box I leave out at work that when the readers (the kids at my site) outgrow the books, they have to pass them on to relatives or friends, donate them, or sell them. No throwing them away. But I worry that would be too forward and my boss wouldn't let me make that a requirement. Not that I would be able to enforce it, I just want to say it.

Transportation Disaster Alert! by Niki Walker

(This one is kind of an honorable mention in this topic since it isn't completely about aviation.)

Transportation Disaster Alert! details things that could go wrong with public transportation.

I think the biggest thing I picked up with this one is how many individuals are involved in keeping public transportation safe. It's important for kids to understand the role that individuals play in public transportation and allowing it to run as smoothly as it does. We live in a world that increasingly looks to machines to do these things for us, but Transportation Disaster Alert! reminds us that machines can fail too. It's important that today's generation of kids has books like Transportation Disaster Alert! to remind them that AI can't do everything, and human capital is important, especially when it comes to mechanics and transportation.

Celia wrote: "I'm very passionate about giving books as many lives as they can get with as many people. Since most of my books were used to begin with, I'm thinking of it as giving them new life instead of getting rid of them. It's my dream that no book ever ends up in a trash can until it's old and falling apart, and passing them on is a way for me to make that happen. It's still sad, though.."

Love this! I so agree. Best wishes with the downsizing, that is so tough. When we moved out-of-state we couldn't afford to bring all our books with us and it was so hard deciding which to part with. I'm glad that you are thinking of ways to get the books you can't keep into the hands of young readers (libraries are amazing and I'm so grateful for them, but there is something special about having a book that is your very own, especially if it's a much-loved book). I would think if you word your note in a way that it's a suggestion, kind of like a "pay it forward" sort of idea, that it might fly with your boss?

Celia wrote: "I'm thinking of putting a request on the box I leave out at work that when the readers (the kids at my site) outgrow the books, they have to pass them on to relatives or friends, donate them, or sell them. No throwing them away. But I worry that would be too forward and my boss wouldn't let me make that a requirement. Not that I would be able to enforce it, I just want to say it.



I'm so sorry you have to leave the job you love. The kids are better off with having you in your life. Maybe they'll let you set up a Little Free Library and then the kids can take a book and put it back when they're done. That way no books get thrown out.

I don't have a driver's license or car either but we only moved 2 miles away so we made multiple trips back and forth as we moved everything over a period of time. Twice. Plus my parents brought a lot of unnecessary junk and books are way more necessary than the majority of stuff my dad brought.

I'm only parting with a few of them, thankfully. Like 100 or so, which honestly I don't need. Most of the ones I've paid for on my thriftbooks binges or otherwise are staying with me, and most of the free ones I didn't pay for are ones I'm getting rid of. Honestly, there's a lot I really don't need.

Celia wrote: "I'm only parting with a few of them, thankfully. Like 100 or so, which honestly I don't need. Most of the ones I've paid for on my thriftbooks binges or otherwise are staying with me, and most of t..."

I'm glad it wasn't too painful and it's good to know that the books you didn't really need are now going to people who might experience them for the first time and find a new favorite book :-)

Celia wrote: "I'm only parting with a few of them, thankfully. Like 100 or so, which honestly I don't need. Most of the ones I've paid for on my thriftbooks binges or otherwise are staying with me, and most of t..."

Good to hear it. For sure you need to bring old friends with you to your new home. I keep trying to get my nieces and nephews to take some of my old children's books but they're not into the same books I like. Except my brother may try to get his grubby grown-up hands on my Harry Potter books again to read with his son. No way! I never got one back after he stole them from me the first time and took them to his then gf's house. He replaced it many years later but it's not MY book. He's taller than his children and can reach the top shelf! I put the antique and collectible books in the upstairs hallway where little hands can't get them. I may need to put the collectible Harry books up there too.

I'm finally getting the books posted of the biographies my oldest and I read. We had so much fun with this Aviation picture book project. We focused mostly on history and biographies and it was wonderful because it tied the education in with something he’s really interested in so it was more meaningful and memorable for him. My 7-year-old also listened to most of the books, too. I’ll share their favorites below. I’ll just do a very brief review of each book.
I’ve made this in chronological order. While not a complete list, I hope it’s helpful to those looking to share Aviation history with young people. I'll put "spoilers" to hide the reviews so this post doesn't become to long.

1783: Up & Down: The Adventures of John Jeffries, First American to Fly (view spoiler)[Three stars. Entertaining but see the negative reviews regarding the flaws. (hide spoiler)]

1811: Lighter than Air: Sophie Blanchard, the First Woman Pilot (view spoiler)[engaging look at first female hot air balloon pilot (hide spoiler)]

1896: The Flying Man: Otto Lilienthal, the World's First Pilot
This was a favorite with both my sons. I think it really captured their attention and imagination because what Lillienthal achieved is so near to what they (and many other children) wish for: being able to fly -- with wings. (view spoiler)[This was the age of experimentation and invention, without all the safety constraints we have today. On one hand, this fueled innovation but, on the other hand, it led to many unfortunate demises and, sadly, Lillienthal crashed to his death soon after the inspiring, history-making events recounted in this story. I appreciate that the story proper ends on a high note (literally and figuratively) for children perhaps not ready for Lillienthal’s tragic end, but also appreciate that the full story is recounted in the back matter as some children may need to hear it. The story itself is engaging and the illustrations enhance the appeal. (hide spoiler)]

June, 1903: The Flying Girl: How Aida de Acosta Learned to Soar Ada Acosta became the first woman to fly a powered aircraft. (view spoiler)[ I loved not only her spirit, spunk and bravery to fly (literally) in the face of what society expected of a young lady, but also the support she received from Alberto Santos-Dumont – reminding us that sometimes men really did champion progress for women. The story proper is a little light on details, but well-worth reading especially for the early elementary audience and back matter is good. (hide spoiler)]

Dec. 17, 1903: First to Fly: How Wilbur and Orville Wright Invented the Airplane Well done, but longer than most picture books.
(view spoiler)[Both my boys are big Wright Brothers fans. I think they like hearing about other brothers who enjoyed inventing together, and seeing how the tinkerings and inventions from childhood eventually led to such great things in adulthood. This book is one of several we consulted and was well-done. (hide spoiler)]

Nov. 12, 1906: The Fabulous Flying Machines of Alberto Santos-Dumont
This was my favorite. (view spoiler)[ I loved Alberto! Born in Brazil, he moved to France and it was there that he began inventing flying machines. He was an idealist and dreamed that his flying machines would bring the world closer together, bring about a greater harmony among nations, people would be able to fly to different countries, see other cultures, realize we are not so different after all. He was well-to-do and gave his prize money away to the less fortunate. He never patented his inventions and, sadly, he is mostly forgotten today as the Wright Brothers rose to fame with their carefully guarded invention. (Although, it’s thanks to him and his best friend, Louis Cartier, that we have the wrist watch today; Alberto couldn’t look at his pocket watch and control his plane at the same time, so his friend designed a watch for him to wear on his wrist and it quickly became popular!). But, at the height of his career, he was one of the most famous men in the world, possessing an enigmatic “star quality” and his quirky lifestyle always intrigued (he is the only man known to fly a dirigible to run everyday errands). In 1906, many believed he was the first man to fly a plane – indeed, Paris didn’t even know of the Wright Brothers because of brothers’ secrecy. But, if you ask a Brazilian today, most will probably disagree about the Wright Brothers and say that Santos-Dumont invented the airplane. I absolutely loved this book and felt the story proper was just right for early elementary while the back matter goes deeper for older readers with an extensive author’s note, photos, Selected Bibliography and more. My heart broke for Alberto when he saw that the airplane didn’t bring about world peace as he had dreamed but, instead, saw his invention being used for war. He ended his life because of that. This is such a touching story and it has stayed with me ever since we read it a few months ago. (hide spoiler)]

The Glorious Flight: Across the Channel with Louis Bleriot July 25, 1909
July 25, 1909: We’ve read this before and enjoy it every time. (view spoiler)[Really brings to life the personality of Bleriot and this historical moment as seen through the eyes of his family. (Interesting tidbit, it was Bleroit who challenged Alberto Santos-Dumont to see who would fly and land a self-propelled plane first; if you’ve read Santos-Dumont’s story, you know that Bleroit lost that challenge, but here Bleroit gets his “first” at last.) (hide spoiler)]

1907: Cromwell Dixon's Sky Cycle
The kids loved this! It shows a real kid inventing and successfully piloting a flying machine. What could be better!?

1910: Wood, Wire, Wings: Emma Lilian Todd Invents an Airplane (view spoiler)[Outstanding. The whole book is meticulously and wonderfully put together. The story itself is engaging but, for me, the author's note and excellent back matter, including many historical photographs, an Age of Airships timeline, and extensive bibliography really elevate this to five stars. While the illustrations themselves may not be my perfect cup of tea, I did really appreciate them and just the overall layout and the way so many drawings/figures, direct quotes, etc. were incorporated. (hide spoiler)]

April 1912: Brave Harriet: The First Woman to Fly the English Channel– Harriet was the first woman to fly across the English Channel. (view spoiler)[This book captures her brave spirit and the first person narrative makes you feel that you are right there with her in anxious moments leading up to the flight, in the cockpit as she braves cold and fog and danger, and her triumph as she succeeds in her goal. Alas, she never got the fame she deserved because news of the Titanic sinking took all the headlines at that time. She is another one of the early pilots who plummeted to a tragic death doing what she loved best, but this is only mentioned in the back matter. (hide spoiler)]

June 14-15, 1919:
The Story of Alcock and Brown
First non-stop transatlantic flight. A fascinating read! One of my ten-year-old’s favorites. I agree. (view spoiler)[ It’s longer than a standard picture book, though if you don’t read the side-bars it is on par with some longer picture books and is so engagingly told it feels like a quick read. Yet, the side bars provide such wonderful details and tidbits, most especially the photographs of the men themselves, instruments used, memorabilia (I love that the two plush toy black cats they brought as mascots are included!). I’m sorry to say I’d never heard of Alcott and Brown, for Lindbergh seems to have stolen the show here in the States, but while Lindbergh’s story stands-out for his bravery going solo, Alcock and Brown’s story is remarkable for the teamwork involved, each with different strengths, working together and helping bolster the other. (hide spoiler)]


June 15, 1921: Nobody Owns the Sky: The Story of "Brave Bessie" Coleman. First African-American to earn her pilot’s license (in France; she was not allowed to in the US at the time).
(view spoiler)[I like the idea of this better than the execution but it is the only PB biography we got about Bessie Coleman and she is definitely worth reading about. Good for author Reeve Lindbergh, daughter of Charles Lindbergh, for realizing the inequality between the news coverage of her father’s achievements and that of Bessie Coleman and for wanting to help make Bessie’s name stand out in the history of aviation as she so well deserved. (hide spoiler)]

May 20-21, 1927 Flight: The journey of Charles Lindbergh Charles Lindbergh, First solo, non-stop transatlantic flight. This was my 7-year-old’s favorite story and favorite aviator. (view spoiler)[ He thought Lindbergh was so brave and exciting, thought the solo aspect was incredible, and was especially amazed at the techniques Lindbergh used to keep himself awake for the 33.5 hour flight. The story does a good job of making you feel part of the action, following the action as it unfolds, it is gripping and memorable. (hide spoiler)]

May 20-21, 1932: NNight Flight: Amelia Earhart Crosses the Atlantic
First woman to fly solo, non-stop transatlantic flight.
(view spoiler)[Like with the Charles Lindbergh story, it does a good job of making you feel part of the action and the solitude of being on a solo, transatlantic flight. I felt that, at times, it got a little too poetic and carried away (especially for the target audience) likening clouds to dead fish and ocean waves to monster’s teeth, it just seemed a little overdone for my personal taste. But, still worth reading and has decent back matter. My 10-year-old really liked Amelia Earhart, too, but not so much because of this book – we read the Childhood of Famous Americans chapter book about her a few years ago and that has stayed with him all this time. (hide spoiler)]

1940s: Sky High: The True Story of Maggie Gee
(view spoiler)[It was nice to read a story about an aviator whose life didn’t end in a tragic crash. While certainly some WASP pilots did lose their lives, fortunately by this time planes and piloting had become generally safer. It was great to read about Maggie’s unwavering desire to fly and her desire to serve her country and to break barriers not only as a woman pilot but as an Asian-American at a time when many looked down upon them or even mistook them for the enemy (her family was Chinese-American but that didn’t stop a few pilots during the war from being fearful when she took off her helmet). Told in first person, the story is engaging and my kids both liked it. The Author’s Note includes more info on WASPs and Maggie herself, along with some delightful photos. Maggie Gee herself shared her story with the author, so I think that speaks well for the authenticity. (hide spoiler)]

1964: Aim for the Skies: Jerrie Mock and Joan Merriam Smith's Race to Complete Amelia Earhart's Quest
(view spoiler)[Jerrie Mock became the first woman to fly around the globe solo. I liked how these women were inspired by Earhart. They wanted to fly around the world, like Earhart had tried to do, and they succeeded. Jerrie just did it first. Neither woman set out to make it a competition, but media got hold of the story and couldn’t help running with it. Despite women being successful pilots for decades already, still the media had to remark upon their sex, call them “housewives” off on this incredible endeavor, comment on their fashion choices. The storytelling here was sufficient, though I didn’t really feel the personality of either woman really came to life in the story. Still, I’d never heard of either of them before and I am really glad we could read this and certainly recommend it to those looking to learn about lesser-known aviation pioneers. (hide spoiler)]